An overseas pharmaceutical company has filed a lawsuit over obesity drug advertising. Novo Nordisk filed a suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey seeking to halt obesity drug ads by Eli Lilly and Company, Reuters reported on the 21st (local time).
Novo Nordisk sells Wegovy, and Eli Lilly and Company sells Mounjaro. Wegovy and Mounjaro are obesity drugs that mimic the glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 hormone. GLP-1 is secreted from the small intestine after meals, promotes insulin secretion from the pancreas to lower blood sugar, and suppresses glucagon, which raises blood sugar. Wegovy and Mounjaro were originally developed as diabetes treatments and evolved into obesity drugs after their weight-loss effects were confirmed.
Novo Nordisk took issue with Eli Lilly and Company airing a nationwide ad comparing low-dose Wegovy with high-dose Mounjaro. It said the company intentionally compared a low dose because a high-dose version of Wegovy also exists. From a patient's perspective, it could mislead them into thinking Mounjaro is far more effective, making it unfair competition, according to Novo Nordisk.
Novo Nordisk was reported to be planning to seek a court injunction to halt the ads if Eli Lilly and Company does not voluntarily take them down. Novo Nordisk is also considering a damages suit against Eli Lilly and Company.
Novo Nordisk said, "Because there is a new and more effective (high-dose) treatment, the public is entitled to accurate information that reflects the latest science." Eli Lilly and Company said it "supports our advertising" and issued a statement saying it would "focus on the scientific evidence and respond to the lawsuit."